It’s a full-blown winter here in the Midwest, and with it, comes oh so familiar feeling of depression. Winter blues, they make us feel hopeless or worthless, lose interest in doing just about any kind of activity, not wanting any social interaction, might have problems with sleeping or appetite. We don’t feel like doing much anything including blogging which is my lame excuse for taking a break in writing; however lately I felt compelled to scribble out my feelings so here goes.

Winter Blues are also known as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. There is also such thing as summer blues but winter depression is the most common type.

Winter Blues are here, and you could find yourself having a problem waking up in the morning; it’s a dark winter morning, gloomy and cold, and you just don’t feel like getting out of bed.

A bright sunlight could make a difference, mainly because it boosts the production of the body chemicals that contribute to the feeling of happiness, however good luck with getting it in the wee hours of the winter morning. A Wake-Up Light can provide a substitute. It’s basically a programmable variation of an alarm with a sunrise function. It begins to brighten gradually and is fully lit by the alarm preset time; the sound is optional. This might just work, or else you might want to try an alarm clock with bed shaker and lamp flasher… not sure I would want this one. It’s a matter of the preference though.

Speaking of falling asleep, some sources recommend to eliminate electronics in your bedroom including the cell phone. This way the bedroom is designated for sleeping only. Am not sure this would work for me as I have developed a habit of falling asleep with the TV going on and playing one of my favorite DVDs. Have been doing this for the longest time.

Image Credit: Pixabay

This does wonders for my sleep quality and needless to say, I’m enjoying it. My cell phone is plugged in and charging nearby, while it can be set on a silent mode. This works for me just fine. Each to their own, I guess.

Back to the winter morning. F5 your mood or in other words, refresh it. Color your mood, paint your walls; some sources recommend painting them in bright colors. My walls are a blah off-white that I’ve always had a nagging feeling to paint in some other color. Not sure about bright colors but maybe a shade of green or lavender, and save bright colors for the accessories. This goes on my list of the next projects.

Inasmuch as my walls aren’t undergoing any changes in the near future, I am focusing on lighting a candle and taking a hot shower. Doing these two simultaneously sounds like a good idea.

Add chocolate to the mix. I always knew that there was an underlying reason for craving it. Actually, some ingredients of chocolate are used by the brain to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter related to that feeling of happiness. I am all for the dark chocolate but of course, can’t indulge.

A cup of coffee and back to blogging. Stay warm, everyone, and away from the winter storm that’s sweeping through the Midwest USA as we speak.